Medicinal and Solanaceous Leaves Overview

Medicinal Leaves (General)

• Various medicinal leaves are discussed, including Senna Leaf, Buchu Leaf, Boldo, Uva Ursi, and Peppermint.
• Different medicinal plants are part of the family Solanaceae, notably Stramonium, Belladonna, and Henbane (including European and Egyptian varieties).

Solanaceous Leaves (Specifics)

• Stramonium (Thorn apple): Dried leaves and flowering tops, dark grayish green, petiolated, ovate-triangular, coarsely dentate or lobed, reticulate venation, acuminate apex, asymmetric base, 10-20cm long /6-15cm wide.

• Belladonna (deadly nightshade): Dried leaves and flowering tops, grayish green, petiolated, ovate, entire margin, reticulate venation, acuminate apex, decurrent, symmetric base, 10-20cm long / 4-12cm wide.

• Henbane (European Hyoscyamus): Dried leaves and flowering tops of Hyoscyamus niger, first biennial henbane is ovate lanceolate, petiolated, lobed or coarsely dentate, pinnately reticulate, acute apex; second biennial henbane is sessile, cordate base (amplexicaule).

• Egyptian Henbane (Hyoscyamus muticus): Dried leaves and flowering tops of Hyoscyamus muticus, pale green, ovate lanceolate, upper leaves are sessile and more lanceolate with entire margins, lower leaves are petiolated, lobed with acuminate apex.

Buchu Leaves

• The dried leaves of Barosma betulina, and closely related species Barosma crenulata and Barosma serratifolia.
• Rhomboidal shape, rigid and brittle when dry, cartilaginous when moist, contain 4 lateral veins, punctate upper surface.

Microscopic Plant Structures

• Tissue Sections: (Datura stramonium, Belladonna, Henbane (H. niger), Henbane (H. muticus)): Dorsiventral with crystal layers (CaOX clusters), Epidermis with wavy anticlinal walls and smooth cuticle, and lack of CaOX layer, striated cuticle, and crystal layer containing prisms of calcium oxalate.

Active Constituents

• Tropane Alkaloids (e.g., stramonium, belladonna, henbane): Hyoscyamine and scopolamine are key components. Specific concentrations vary among the different species.

• Buchu: Contain volatile oils (diosphenol and menthone) and diosmin (flavone glycoside), mucilage, with short buchu containing more volatile oil. Chemical analysis indicates compounds like diosmin and diosphenol with associated colors via specific chemical tests.

Uses

• Anticholinergic properties for relieving spasms in the urinary tract and smooth muscle relaxation, treating intestinal tone as an antispasmodic, sedative in dry coughs, and mydriasis (pupil dilation).

• Other uses include treating sweating, saliva, gastric, and pancreatic secretions. Certain species are also used to treat Parkinson's disease.

• Buchu (diosmin, diosphenol): Urinary antiseptics and for treatment of peripheral vascular disorders (e.g. varicose veins).

Overdose Treatment

• Treatment of toxicity (e.g. following overdose ingestion) : Charcoal, Physostigmine, Pilocarpine

Chemical Tests

• Mayer's reagent: White precipitate
• Vitali-Morin test: Produces violet color.

Additional Notes (from Multiple Pages)

• Various other specific details, types of hairs, and stomata types are described for each variety.
• Specific plant part (upper/lower) characteristics and details (sessile, petiolated, etc.) are included for different types of henbane and for buchu leaf.
• Specific chemical tests for active constituents are detailed.